


Fluffcember Ficlets - 25 Days

by GoggleLad



Category: Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: Age Difference, Bad Cooking, Biting, Bodyswap, Christmas Shopping, Coffee, Cuddling & Snuggling, Day At The Beach, Dreaming, F/F, First Kiss, Fluffcember, Ghosts, Hiking, Holding Hands, Hot Springs & Onsen, Love Confessions, Making Out, Mistletoe, Misunderstandings, Music, Perfume, Reunions, Snow, Teasing, The Pocky Game, Truth or Dare, zero editing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:53:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 13,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27835573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoggleLad/pseuds/GoggleLad
Summary: Have you heard?  Has anyone told you?  The Rumor of Fluffcember!  25 days of short ficlets for different prompts, featuring different characters each day.  How exciting!  Each one will be quick and unrefined, just 15-20 minutes of writing, ~500 words per piece, and no editing other than a possible spellcheck.  It'll be a test of writing ability!  Will they be any good?  Only one way to find out!
Relationships: Aimi Eri/Natsuki Utsuho, Aino Mito/Ibuki Leila/Kumi Seika, Akemi Homura/Kuro, Akino Kaede/Haruna Konomi, Alina Gray/Tsukasa Amane, Chiaki Riko/Ashley Taylor, Hiiragi Nemu/Satomi Touka/Tamaki Ui, Hiroe Chiharu/Tokime Shizuka/Toki Sunao, Hozumi Shizuku/Mariko Ayaka, Iroha Tamaki/Tsukuyo Amane, Kako Natsume/Felicia Mitsuki/Ayame Mikuri, Mami Tomoe/Himika Mao, Masara Kagami & Yuma Chitose, Misono Karin/Izumi Kanagi, Mitama Yakumo & Konoha Shizumi, Ren Isuzu/Mel Anna, Ria Ami/Manaka Kurumi, Rika Ayano/Hinano Miyako, Sakurako/Ryo Midori, Sana Futaba/Ai, Sarasa Hanna/Emiri Kisaki, Sayaka Miki/Sayuki Fumino, Shinobu Akira/Chun Meiyui, Togame Momoko/Yui Tsuruno
Comments: 65
Kudos: 53





	1. Day 1 - Handholding (Sakurako/Ryo)

**Author's Note:**

> This is more of an experiment and a writing exercise than anything else, seeing how well I can do at writing short spurts without overthinking my work. As a result, I can't make promises about quality. But with each day featuring a different prompt, and me making an effort to use different characters each time, it should certainly prove interesting! Hopefully I manage to stick with it for the full 25 days.

“Alright, today’s scoop should definitely get some buzz,” Ryo said excitedly, poring over the copy of her Midori Report that she’d just printed.

Sakurako looked over her shoulder, eyeing the report curiously. There was a big picture on the front of two students holding hands, and the headline was ‘Student Council Affair Exposed’.

“|Ryo, I don’t understand. What is the significance of these two humans holding hands?|”

“Eh, you don’t know?” Ryo put the report down and gave Sakurako her full attention. “It’s a pretty significant mark of intimacy, you know? That’s why it was a dead giveaway that those two are lovers.”

Sakurako nodded slowly, making a note to save this information. “|I see. However, this seems to be a contradiction. I hold hands with Ui, and Iroha, and Touka, and Nemu. And I know that I have seen Touka and Ui hold hands as well. But to my knowledge, none of those relationships would qualify as ‘lovers’. Is that not correct?|”

“Ah, that’s a bit different,” Ryo said with a knowing nod. “You’re right, it’s not _just_ lovers. It’s not odd among family members. But I can rule out family members for this scoop, so that’s not a factor. The point is, people don’t hold hands unless they’re _real_ close, got it?”

“|Yes. I believe I understand now.|”

“Good.” Ryo turned away, going back to looking over the report.

“|Ryo. I have a request.|”

Ryo sighed for some reason, but she didn’t seem angry. She put the paper back down and turned toward Sakurako again. “Sure. What’ve you got?”

“|Will you hold my hand?|” She held her hand out toward Ryo to make it easy.

Ryo blinked, her face taking on the expression that Sakurako recognized as ‘surprise’. “Um, you sure about that? You heard all that stuff I just said, right?”

“|Yes. Only people that are ‘close’ hold hands, because it is a sign of intimacy.|” Sakurako nodded with satisfaction as she played back the information. “|As Ryo and I are very close, I believe that we qualify to hold hands. Is that not correct?|”

Ryo placed a hand over her face and… laughed? It seemed like a strange response to a simple query, the humor was not apparent. “Jeez, cutting right to it, huh? If you’re gonna put it like that, I guess I can’t exactly refuse.” Ryo reached out and took Sakurako’s hand in her own, carefully entwining their fingers. The temperature in her face increased for some reason as she did so. “How about that? Is that good?”

Sakurako squeezed lightly, feeling Ryo’s hand in her own. She felt… comfortable. Warm. Safe. It was slightly different from holding Ui’s hand, though she’d have to analyze the data to see exactly how. She smiled. “|Yes. This is quite nice.|”


	2. Day 2 - Dreams (Sana/Ai)

“This way, Ai!”

Sana took the other girl by the arm, tugging. Ai allowed herself to be pulled, smiling, giving off the impression that she was humoring Sana.

“Very well. What is it that you want to show me?”

“You’ll see. I think, you’ll definitely like it.”

They must look like sisters to anyone watching. They were nearly identical, with matching features, matching hairstyles, even matching outfits. The only difference was that Ai’s coloring was subtly different, her skin a bit paler, her hair a bit greener, even the shades of her dress just a few shades off from Sana’s.

But that was just on the outside. Sana knew what Ai was truly like, her strength, her kindness. Sana didn’t mind that Ai looked like her, had modeled her appearance off of Sana, because it was a small way that Sana could give back to her for all that Ai had done for Sana.

“Over here! Hurry!” Sana tugged Ai along, stopping at a bench at the top of the hill and sitting the two of them down there. “There. Do you see?”

The hill looked out over the city, a marvelous view of Kamihama at twilight, buildings sparkling in the light of the setting sun. The golden hues washed over the city, a breathtaking sight.

“It’s beautiful, Sana.”

Sana nodded. “Yes! I… I really wanted to show you. I… used to think that there wasn’t anything beautiful in Kamihama. But… Iroha and everyone, we went out to this place the other week to watch the sunset, and I wanted to show it to you.”

Ai looked out over the city, a melancholy smile on her face. “Thank you. You keep teaching me more and more, Sana. I’m truly grateful.”

Sana’s chest felt tight. “You make that sound so sad.”

Ai shook her head. “I didn’t mean it that way. I’m so glad to see you like this. I never thought it would be possible. It really is a dream come true. But… We’re almost out of time.”

Indeed, the world was already starting to grow fuzzy, the edges becoming indistinct. “I’m… waking up, aren’t I?” Sana didn’t need for Ai to answer, she already knew it. “I… I miss you, Ai. But I’ll be okay. And… I’ll be back! I’ll see you again next week! So, until then… please don’t be too lonely.”

“Of course.” Ai nodded. “I’ll have you in my thoughts. Sana… take care of yourself.”

Sana nodded back, then wrapped her arms around Ai in a tight embrace. She took a deep breath, taking in Ai’s scent…

….

And opened her eyes.

She spotted the cherry blossom tree above her, in full bloom just as it always was. She sighed, feeling the familiar weight settling over her heart. But it was okay. She’d be okay.

A hand was offered to her, and she took it, letting the Uwasa of the Eternal Sakura help her up.

“|Did you sleep well?|”

Sana nodded, and smiled. “Yes… And she’s doing well too. Thank you for doing this for me. And… I’ll be back again!”


	3. Day 3 - Cuddling (Mami/Himika)

Mami stood outside the door and took a deep breath, gathering her courage. It shouldn’t be so scary, but somehow it was, every time. What if they weren’t happy to see her? What if… what if…?

The door opened before she could knock, a little boy looking up at her. “She really is here! Big Sis Mami is here!”

There was a fuss of activity beyond the doorway, a stampede of footsteps shuffling around, and a small army of little kids assembled to greet her. “Big Sis!” “Miss Mami!” “The Christmas Angel!”

“Hey, settle down and let her actually come in!” Himika pushed her way through to the front of the cluster, picking up her younger siblings and depositing them out of the way when necessary. “Hey, Mami! Sorry about all the bustle, the kids were just really excited to see you!”

“Oh, it’s no problem,” Mami said quickly. Maybe too quickly? “I’m happy to be so appreciated!” she said honestly.

“Well, come on in,” Himika told her with a wave. “We were just talking about you. It wasn’t too much work to come over, was it? We don’t have much, but I can get you some refreshments at least!”

“You don’t have to worry about me!” Mami assured her. “Actually...” She clenched the plastic bag she was holding tightly and took a moment to find her courage again. “Actually… I made a cake, if you don’t mind. I don’t know if it’s much good, but–”

“Big Sis brought a cake!” one of the youngsters cried out, and the whole house was in an excited uproar within moments, several small arms clinging to Mami in hugs.

Himika shooed the little ones aside and pulled Mami in to the kitchen with a laugh. “Well, sounds like there’s a new favorite big sister in the house,” she joked as she took the cake and laid it on the table.

Mami blushed. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to take your place–”

Himika waved her concern aside. “I’m joking! I mean, you’re my favorite too. Seriously thanks for coming over. I know that having date night at home with a bunch of kids running around is kinda lame, but…”

“No, it really is fine!” Mami told her. She bit her lip, searching for the right words. “I… kind of like it. Feeling like I’m part of a family, I mean.”

Himika grinned happily at her. “Well, I know what _that_ calls for! Cuddle pile time!”

There was a round of cheers, and a bewildered Mami was pulled along by the crowd of children over to an old, beat up mattress. She was practically dragged down into sitting on it, and the whole bunch of them pressed close, wrapping her in hugs. Mami froze, not sure what to do. It had been so long since she’d been showered in affection like this…

Himika had to wrestle a couple of kids away to make room, but managed to get her own spot and wrapped her arms around Mami, cuddling close. “There, howzat? You feel all cozy now?”

Mami could only manage to swallow and nod. This was really, really nice.

“Sis, you should hurry up and marry Big Sis! That way she’d be our Big Sis for real!”

Mami blushed at that, but Himika just laughed and looked at her with a bright smile. “Don’t go pressuring her! But hey, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea, y’know?” She gave Mami a squeeze. “She could be part of the family.”

That sounded perfect.


	4. Day 4 - Teasing (Alina/Tsukasa)

“Stop fidgeting already. You’re being ridicolo.”

“But Alina, it’s hard to stay still!” Tsukasa complained.

Alina snorted. “It’s such a simple task. Surely you can at least manage that much. Such a disappointing model.”

Tsukasa groaned. “Sorry I can’t be Mifuyu,” she muttered.

“Yes, you’re certainly no Mifuyu,” Alina agreed, stepping closer and staring pointedly at Tsukasa’s chest.

Tsukasa blushed and took a step back, hugging her arms close. “Stop judging them like that!”

“Rather than Mifuyu, you can’t even compare to your own sister,” Alina said with a sigh. “Aren’t you twins? I suppose this is the effect of having a poor diet...”

Tsukasa winced. “I can’t help that! Sorry for being poor!”

“It really is a shame,” Alina said critically. “I can’t capture the beauty of the human form like this. I thought I could at least paint the beauty of the bond between twins, but where even is Tsukuyo?”

“Our schedules couldn’t line up today,” Tsukasa lamented.

“We’ll have to make the best of it,” Alina said with a shrug. “Stand up straighter.” She reached out and grabbed Tsukasa by the chin, forcefully repositioning her.

Tsukasa blushed, embarrassed by the direct contact. “I don’t know why you’re even bothering. You’ve already said that I’m not beautiful.”

“Not on the outside,” Alina affirmed. “But with the right pose, from the right angle… Fantastico.” She nodded and stepped back to look Tsukasa over. “We can expose that beautiful spirit over yours.”

“W-what beautiful spirit?” Tsukasa exclaimed, almost falling over.

“Yours. You’re a hard worker, to a frankly ridiculous extent. That kind of spirit is beautiful.” Alina frowned. “When you can show it. You’ve gone and ruined it again. Get back in position.”

“It’s an uncomfortable position. I can’t just keep holding like that...”

“Stai zitto. I’m the artist, just follow what I tell you.” Alina put her hands on Tsukasa, forcefully repositioning her as she wished.

Tsukasa set her jaw. She’d had just about enough of this. “Now you hold on!” Losing her temper, she slammed her hand against the wall beside Alina. “I’m not your doll!”

Alina blinked, apparently surprised by Tsukasa’s sudden outburst. Tsukasa was surprised too, and almost immediately regretted it. She was going to get in _so_ much trouble for this…

“Perfetto,” Alina said with a sudden grin. “That’s the spirit exactly. Beautiful. Just stay there, just like that, while I sketch you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not satisfied with how this one turned out, I don't feel like I nailed either the prompt or the characters or the ending. But I hit my time limit and I already resolved to do no edits, so, here it is! Part of doing a challenge like this is that I'm not going to like how all of them go.


	5. Day 5 - Body Swapping (Ria/Manaka)

Ria coughed smoke out of her lungs as the dust cleared and the Labyrinth receded. “Curses! That strange Witch got away!”

“Ria, is that you?” a voice called out in the clearing cloud of smoke. “You sound kind of funny.”

Ria huffed. “Of course it’s me! Really Manaka, how could you possibly mistake me for anyone other than the one and only Ria Ami _iiiii!”_ Her speech turned into a startled shriek as she raised her finger to point at the ‘Manaka’ that she’d been speaking to.

Who was very clearly _not_ Manaka! Manaka wasn’t a tall, blond natural beauty with a cute face and a killer body! Ria had to crane her neck to even look up at this beautiful girl, brushing red bangs out of her eyes. ...Red bangs?

“Ria… You look just like me,” the tall blond that was talking like Manaka said, pointing. “And I...” She looked down, checking out her own gorgeous body. “Yep, I look like you. Great. We swapped.” Her tone and expression didn’t _sound_ like she thought it was great, she sounded sour about the whole thing.

“We swapped bodies?!” Ria looked down, confirming that her current form was certainly _not_ her usual bombshell of a bod. The other girl was right, this had to be Manaka’s underdeveloped body.

“It must’ve been that freaky Witch’s doing. Jeez, what a pain...”

“Hey, you should sound happier!” Ria shouted, advancing on Manaka. “You have the honor of being in the body of the one and only Ria Ami! This isn’t something that just happens everyday, you know!”

Manaka winced with Ria’s beautiful features. “Yeah, no thanks. I feel like I’m gonna trip and fall, and my body feels heavy. I’d rather get back to being me, thanks.”

“You’re so ungrateful!” Ria tried to get in Manaka’s face, but it was harder than she was used to on account of being shorter than the other girl, but she stood on her tiptoes and did her best. “Just… _look_ at yourself! You’re beautiful! Actually...” She paused, taking in the wonderful curves before her. “This… This could be a great chance. I don’t usually get to see myself from this perspective. I can look at myself from all sorts of angles that I usually can’t...”

Manaka took a nervous step back. “Uh, senpai, can you _not_? You’ve got a weird look on your face...”

“Hold still!” Ria commanded, grabbing Manaka by the hips. “That’s my body, so you should do what I say! Now, I just want to take a closer look… Oh my, I knew I was perfect, but feeling these curves from an outside perspective, I can tell just how amazing I really am!”

“Hey, stop, you’re making this weird,” Manaka said, but she wasn’t putting much effort into her struggles. She looked embarrassed, blushing with that cute perfect face of hers, and it really just made her look even more irresistible.

Ria could feel her face heating up. Obviously, no one could resist that kind of perfect allure. That was just how powerful Ria Ami’s natural beauty really was. “Just hold on a bit longer, me. I just want to try some things...”

“W-whoa! Where are you touching?! I seriously will smack you if you keep this up, even if it is my body!”

“Come now, it’s no problem, I’m just feeling myself! Now, let’s just get these clothes off so that I can get a better look–OW!”


	6. Day 6 - Beach Trips (Shizuku/Ayaka)

“Knock knock!”

Shizuku paused, then walked to the door. She opened it, and there was Ayaka, who was… poorly dressed for a rainy December day. “Why are you wearing a swimsuit?”

“No, you’re supposed to ask who’s there! That’s why I said ‘knock knock’ instead of knocking!”

A pause, then a sigh. Best to get this over with. “Who is there?” Shizuku asked in a long-suffering tone.

“Orange!”

“...”

“Psst! You’re supposed to ask ‘Orange who?’”

“...Orange who?”

“Orange you glad to see me?” Ayaka asked, holding up an orange.

“...Why are you wearing a swimsuit? It’s too cold for the beach.”

“Aha, but that’s where you’re wrong!” Ayaka said with a grin. She reached into an overstuffed backpack and replaced her orange with a map. “It’s too cold for a Japanese beach, sure! But that’s why we’re not going to a Japanese beach.”

“...Alright.” Shizuku didn’t have any other plans for today, and it’s not like Ayaka ever let her say no. “So, where are we going?”

Ayaka’s grinned widened, and she pointed to a spot in the middle of the ocean. “Hawaii!”

* * *

Shizuku’s magic made the trip an easy one. She’d been to Hawaii once before, but… it wasn’t a place that she could belong. She couldn’t fit in with the people here.

Ayaka never cared about fitting in or making a scene, though. She let out a loud whoop and jumped up and down on the beach. “There we go! It’s that tropical island feeling, bright sun and palm trees! Let’s go!” She dropped the backpack unceremoniously onto the sand and dragged Shizuku along towards the water.

The first step into the waves was a surprise. “It’s so warm,” Shizuku said aloud.

“You bet it is!” Ayaka agreed happily.

* * *

“You having fun?” Ayaka asked, obviously holding something behind her back.

Shizuku gave her a wary look. “It’s not bad...”

“Well, I’m having a _ball_!” Ayaka said merrily, revealing her beachball and tossing it playfully toward Shizuku.

* * *

“Phew! I’m hungry! Maybe I should see if I can find something to eat using my soul gem.”

It was Ayaka, so it was probably a bad joke, but Shizuku didn’t see it. “Why would you use your soul gem? That would only help you find magical signatures...”

Ayaka grinned at her. “Because we’re at the beach, and I’m hankering for a _sandwich!_ ”

* * *

“That was a fun day!” Ayaka declared as they were toweling off. “Hawaiian beaches really are something else!”

“Shoot,” Shizuku swore mildly. “I think I got some sand in my swimsuit. It’s uncomfortable...”

“Shizuku, you shouldn’t speak like that!” Ayaka said with sudden sternness.

“...Why?”

“Because look where we are! You should be saying ‘son of a beach’!”

“...Let’s just go home.”

“Okay!”

It was a simple matter for her to connect the beach back to Kamihama City. The sudden change of temperature had them both shivering, though.

“Thanks for today, Shizuku! I had a lot of fun!” Ayaka told her, holding her towel close like a blanket.

Shizuku frowned. “Yeah, I suppose it was a fun place for you.” She wrapped her arms around herself for reasons that had nothing to do with the cold. She didn’t mind being helpful, but she hated the idea that she was just being used. Sometimes it seemed like she was just a glorified taxi for Ayaka. “Sorry that you had to spend it with me instead of someone more fun.”

“Whatchu talkin’ ‘bout?” Ayaka asked in an approximation of an accent that Shizuku didn’t recognize. She wrapped her arms around Shizuku’s arm and hugged it close, surprising Shizuku. “It was fun because I was there with you!”


	7. Day 7 - Celebrations/Rewards (Homura/Kuro)

Homura awakened to a field of stars spreading out in all directions. There was no true ground here, just space spreading out in all directions. She was...

“Take your time,” a familiar voice told her. A gentle voice, the voice of a goddess, a voice that she’d engraved into her memories. “I’m sorry it’s been so hard for you. You’ve worked so hard, for so long. But you can rest now.”

She _had_ worked hard for a long, long time. She knew instinctively that the person that she was now wasn’t just the Homura of one timeline, but the sum of herself from across many different universes. All of them had been hard, she’d struggled in all of them, but… she’d never stopped fighting. Not even at the very end, when her soul gem had finally blackened and she hadn’t been able to fight anymore. The end hadn’t been the same in all of her lives, but… now, after the end, here she was. With Madoka again. It made her want to cry.

“Madoka… I-I...”

Madoka smiled at her. “It’s okay. I understand, really. It’s hard for a lot of girls at first, but you’ll be alright now. I’m really glad to see you again. And… I brought a bit of a present for you, too.”

Homura wiped her eyes. A present? She wasn’t sure what kind of present would be suitable for a dead girl, but it was Madoka, so she was sure that it would be perfect, whatever it was.

In that endless plane of stars, Madoka stepped to the side to reveal another figure standing behind her. “She wanted to be here to come pick you up. She’s been waiting for a long time too,” Madoka said gently.

Homura blinked, then rubbed her eyes, sure at first that she was seeing things. The girl before her had most of her face hidden in the shadow of a hood, and was wearing a black cloak that disguised most of her form. Really, all that could be seen of her was her chin and a bit of black hair, but… Homura recognized her immediately. Even though she’d only known her for a short time, in only a single lifetime out of the many that Homura could now recall, it had been an experience that was burned into her soul.

She stepped forward before she knew what she was doing, taking the other girl by her hands. “Jane Doe!” she cried out, feeling like a child again. “It’s you, isn’t it?”

The hooded girl recoiled, instinctively pulling back from Homura’s forward behavior, but she collected herself quickly and even smiled back at her. She pulled one of her hands free from Homura’s grip to pull her hood down, showing her face. “You can call me Kuro,” she said. “I wanted to say thanks. For caring about me, and all. I didn’t think you’d actually remember me.”

“Of course I did!” Homura insisted. “I… I wish that I could have saved you!” For so much of Homura’s life, for so _many_ of Homura’s lives, Madoka had been the most important person in the world to her. That single shining star that had reached out to Homura to befriend her. But Kuro… Kuro was the one person that _Homura_ had reached out to, the one friend that she’d made of her own initiative. “I could never forget you! I-I’m sorry!” She found that she was crying again, and didn’t know what to do about it.

“H-hey, it’s fine!” Kuro assured her frantically. “There wasn’t anything you could do about it anyway. I messed up. You were there for me at the end, and that… it really meant a lot, you know. And… a-anyway, I guess we can get to know each other better now, since we’re both here. I’m… looking forward to it. If you don’t get bored of me or anything!”

“I’m looking forward to it too!” Homura told her earnestly. “I’m so glad to see you again!”


	8. Day 8 - Biting (Karin/Kanagi)

“Are you sure about this?” Kanagi asked.

“I’m sure,” Karin said with an affirmative nod. “Super sure!” she added, just to make sure she was being clear.

“Alright.”

Kanagi leaned in, close. _Very_ close. Her fingertips brushed Karin’s neck as she pushed Karin’s hair away from her nape. Kanagi’s breath tickled Karin’s ear, sending shivers down Karin’s spine. And then… nothing. Karin tried not to squirm as she waited for Kanagi to get it over with. What was taking her so long?

“Are you _quite_ _certain_ about this?” Kanagi asked, whispering since she was already so close to Karin’s ear.

Karin groaned. “Yes, I’m certain! I already said yes!” Karin told her. “What are you waiting for?”

“I just want to make completely certain that you’re prepared for this,” Kanagi said, unruffled. “This is… an unusual request.”

“I’m the most prepared that I could possibly be!” Karin insisted. “I’ve got the camera all set up so that I can review the footage later,” she said with a gesture at the tripod. “And the mirror is in position so that I can watch while it happens. I’ll be able to draw the _perfect_ vampire bite scene after this!”

“I still don’t think the actual biting is necessary,” Kanagi said, continuing to delay. “Surely if you look at all the angles of us like this, that should be enough.”

“Of course not! An artist can’t just look at what they want to draw, they have to feel it! Experience it! Live the moment! That’s why, before Mitama changes your transformation back to _not_ being a vampire, we absolutely have to take advantage of this! So, Dread Vampire Nagitan, as the magical girl born of Halloween that holds dominion over all things spooky, I, Magical Karin, _command_ you: bite me!”

Kanagi sighed. “Very well. Let’s get this over with.”

Karin held her breath as she felt Kanagi’s teeth braced against the sensitive skin of her neck. This was it. Now, just like in all those manga, Kanagi was going to–

“Ow!!! Ow ow ow ow OW! Stop, stopstopstop, that huuuurts!”

Kanagi pulled away, wiping flecks of red off her lips with her thumb. “I did try to warn you. Biting the neck hard enough to draw blood can’t possibly feel pleasant.”

Karin felt tears in her eyes as she pressed a hand against the sensitive pair of puncture marks on her neck. “Vampire manga lied to me!” she wailed.


	9. Day 9 - Romance/Intimacy (Aimi/Natsuki)

It hard all started so simply.

Natsuki had been hanging out with her good friend Aimi, as she often did, and Aimi had been voicing her romantic woes, as she often did. It was the same as usual, that being that she always froze up before she could actually ask out the boy she liked. And as always, Natsuki was putting her one hundred percent into supporting and encouraging her friend.

“Maybe if you try going on a practice date, it’ll make it easier for you to ask him out on a real one!”

That had been her careless suggestion, and her big mistake. Aimi’s eyes had lit up at the idea immediately. “That’s a great idea! Natsuki will you go on a practice date with me?”

And there it was, that was Natsuki’s big mistake. She should’ve seen it coming. And that had led her to this moment, where she was taking Aimi on a date. Which might have been fine, except that Aimi had a crush on a boy, wheras Natsuki liked girls and had long been nursing an unspoken unrequited crush on Aimi. Whoops!

But she absolutely wasn’t going to let that get in her way! She was going to be the best, more supportive friend for Aimi that she could possibly be! Which meant that she’d have to be the best boyfriend that she could possibly be so that Aimi’s practice date would be a success!

Her heat was pounding a mile a minute when she picked Aimi up from her house. She had borrowed some clothes from her brother, which hopefully looked nice. Aimi opened the door and Natsuki gave her her best smile. “Aimi! It’s good to see you. Ah, you look beautiful today!”

Aimi blushed. “Oh, th-thank you! You look great too, Hayato!”

Right. Hayato. That was the role that Natsuki was playing. She pulled out the flower she’d been holding behind her back and presented it. “I, uh, got you a gift! Though, it’s not as pretty as you.” She pinned the flower behind Aimi’s ear, which was as red as the rest of her face. Too much? No, but Aimi was smiling, so it should be fine!

Aimi started giggling, in fact. “Oh, you’re such a charmer!” She reached out and took Natsuki’s hand, w-which wasn’t a big deal or anything, and the two of them set off.

The plan was to do something easy today. It was just practice, after all. They would go to a nice cafe for a simple cafe date. No problem.

“Here you, my lady,” Natsuki said as she held open the door for Aimi.

“Such a gentleman!” Aimi said with a giggle.

There, that was smooth, wasn’t it? And the meal went great. They even ordered the special couple’s smoothie, and though it was pretty embarrassing to have the double heart-shaped straw, it seemed to make Aimi happy.

“Oh, Hayato, here! Let me feed you!” Aimi held out her fork out, and Natsuki obligingly took a bite, even though she was really embarrassed about it.

All-in-all, everything seemed to be a success! Actually, Aimi was doing a surprisingly good job of staying focused. She usually would drift off into a daydream at the drop of a pin and start having an imagined conversation with herself, but today she didn’t drift off at all. Though it was embarrassing to have all of that attention focused on Natsuki…

It was all good… until the date was over, and Natsuki had walked Aimi back home. “I hope that you had a good time today,” Natsuki said.

“I had a lovely time!” Aimi said dreamily. “You were such a romantic, I couldn’t ask for more.”

Natsuki smiled, relieved. “I’m glad. Well then, I–mmph!”

Natsuki’s eyes went wide as Aimi _leaned in and kissed her aaaaaaah!_ She was left stunned and speechless when Aimi pulled back with a dreamy smile.

“Well then, we should do this again sometime,” Aimi said with a giggle as she backed away and walked into her house.

Natsuki swallowed hard, her lips still tingling. Was… that part of Aimi’s daydream? Had Aimi known what she was doing?

And was it really bad that Natsuki was looking forward to their next date?


	10. Day 10 - Snow Day (Mito/Leila/Seika)

“Okay,” Leila said as she rolled a large ball of snow, “I think I’m ready with the base! Seika, how is the head coming along?”

Seika answered by placing her own, slightly small ball of snow on top of Leila’s. “...How is that?” she asked. She looked really excited, at least to Leila’s well-trained eye.

“Perfect!” Leila told her, prompting a smile from Seika. “It’s a great head for our snowman. And now we just need to decorate him!”

“I’ve got it!” Mito shouted eagerly. “I found some acorns for buttons! Oh, and sticks for arms!” She excitedly started sticking her finds into the snowman.”

“That’s great! And I brought a carrot for the nose,” Leila volunteered.

“Um… Sunglasses,” Seika offered. “For the eyes.”

“Now that’s a snowman,” Seika declared, pleased.

“Oh, but he looks so cold!” Mito cried. “He’ll look warmer with a scarf. Oh, and mittens for his hands. And I’d better give him my coat to bundle up!” Mito stepped away proudly, much lighter now. “There! Now he’s p-perfect!”

“Mito, now _you’re_ going to freeze!” Leila cried out, but she couldn’t help but giggle. That was so like Mito. “Here, get over here, I’ll help you keep warm.”

“Thanks Leila!” Mito cozily snuggled under Leila’s thick jacket, pressing close for warmth. “Mm, that’s nice.”

Leila giggled again. “Seika, you too, help me warm Mito up!”

Seika joined their huddle, the three of them all embracing closely. Seika’s face looked intent, which meant she had something that she wanted to say but was having trouble saying it. But Leila and Mito knew better than to rush her, and just waited until Seika was ready. “...O-our snowman is definitely the best,” she said at last, carefully. “There’s…  _snow_ way that there’s a better one in all of Kamihama.”

A beat passed, and Seika started to look nervous. Then it clicked. “Yeah, that’s right!” Leila said with an eager nod. “There’s  _snow_ way our snowman could be beat!”

“Yeah! Snow way, snow way!” Mito agreed happily. “Because the three of us together are the absolute best! There’s snow way we aren’t!”


	11. Day 11 - Perfume (Hinano/Rika)

“Hey there, Miko-senpai, how’s it going? Just thought I’d check by and see how you’re – oh wowza, what happened here?”

Hinano coughed as she tried to fan away the smoke. “My latest experiment didn’t go quite the way I planned it… You might not want to get too close, Rika.”

Rika hung back at the doorway, peering into the fumes inside the lab. “Is it dangerous? Do I need to ring an alarm, or…?”

“No, it shouldn’t be poisonous or anything,” Hinano assured her. “I was at least _that_ careful. It just got away from me a little.”

“Gotcha.” Rika cautiously entered the room, sniffing at the air. “Was this supposed another one of your growth serums.”

Hinano groaned. Why did everybody have to know about that? “No, not this time. I was just thinking… You know, the best thing would be to have a slammin’ adult body, right? But failing that, it would be nice to at least get  _treated_ like an adult, so I was trying to make something that would help with that.”

Rika sniffed again at the fumes. “Hey, this actually smells pretty good,” she said, sounding surprised. “I thought it would smell all burnt, but… this is  _sweet_ .”

“Well, yeah. After all, it’s perfume,” Hinano explained. “It reacted a lot stronger than I expected and got all over the place, but it’s still perfume. I was trying to make the perfect perfume that would get people to treat me like a mature woman, but this is obviously way too thick. I’m gonna have to take a long bath after this.”

Rika drifted closer to Hinano, following her nose. “Wow, you really are totes coated in that scent, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, that’s what I’ve been– hey, what are you doing?”

Rika had suddenly hugged Hinano and was sniffing at her hair. “It smells  _really_ sweet,” she said in a dreamy voice. “It’s familiar, too. Like,  senpai,  I could get lost in this...”

“Hey, Rika!” Hinano tried to pull away, but the other girl had a pretty good grip on her. “Hey, what gives! I know it smells nice, but...”

“No, you don’t get it, senpai. It smells _really_ nice.” Rika leaned in closer, pressing her face against Hinano’s neck, sending a shiver through her body. “I just want to keep drinking it in...”

Hinano froze. Was this maybe too much of a success? Yeah, she’d been trying to make a compound that would smell like ‘love’ to try to finally catch herself a hot guy, but she hadn’t expected it to be  _this_ effective! It wasn’t poison, but it might be pretty dangerous after all. To think Rika would be so susceptible to something like this…

“A-ah! Hey, stop that!” Rika was brushing her nose across the nape of Hinano’s neck, and it was tickling her. “Th-this isn’t like you, Rika! I thought I wasn’t even your type!”

“But senpai, you’re way too nice and dependable,” Rika said in a contented tone. “You’re so supportive, and you’re selfless, and you give good advice. And you smell _really_ nice. It’s just like...” She sighed happily. “Yeah, it’s really great.”

Hinano groaned. It was hard to argue when Rika sounded so happy. “Fine. For just a little bit, we can just stay like this.”


	12. Day 12 - Cabin Fever (Akira/Meiyui)

“Checkmate,” Meiyui declared with a victorious smirk. “I win.”

“Again,” Akira said with a groan. “How many times does that make now?”

“That’s the eleventh time I’ve beaten you at chess. Would you like to play again?”

“I think I’d rather take a break,” Akira said defeatedly. “How about a different game?”

“Sure. We’ve got Shogi, Go, Xiangqi, Othello...”

“Maybe something that _isn’t_ a strategy game,” Akira begged. “How about Go Fish?”

Meiyui made a face at her to show her distaste. “Really?”

Akira sighed. They’d been cooped up in this room for too long, and it was starting to wear thin. They’d gotten hit by some kind of nasty curse while fighting a Witch, one which apparently spread on contact. Nanaka had immediately ordered the two of them quarantined, and even though the effects seemed to have worn off by now, she’d insisted on keeping them isolated for a bit longer until the Witch cold be defeated, just to be safe.

And spending a week cooped up wasn’t exactly Akira’s idea of a fun time, but at least she wasn’t alone. But it was becoming quite apparent that she and Meiyui had different interests, and after a few days, well…

“Well, what else can we do then? Maybe do some exercises or something?”

“Hm. I have to say, that does not sound terribly exciting to me,” Meiyui said. “Perhaps if we make a game out of it. Arm wrestling, perhaps?”

Akira sighed. Everything always had to be a competition with Meiyui. “ Maybe not a physical contest. We’re both magical girls, I don’t want to end up breaking something.”

Meiyui frowned, thinking, and then her face lit up. “Alright, then how about this?” She reached into their stack of snacks and pulled out something immediately recognizable. “I have heard of an interesting game involving this food. The pocky game, yes?”

Akira hesitated. “You, uh, know how that works, right?”

“Yes,” Meiyui affirmed. “We each take an end of the pocky stick in our mouths, and eat towards the middle. Whoever pulls away and breaks the stick is the loser.” She grinned. “It is a contest of guts. I like it.”

Akira felt butterflies in her stomach. It wasn’t just about guts, she thought, but it wasn’t something she could say. Meiyui didn’t seem at all bothered by the idea of… getting so close with, um, another girl. And it wasn’t a strategy game or something potentially destructive, so… was Akira being too squeamish? “...Okay, let’s play.”

“Excellent.” Meiyui pulled out a pocky stick and took one end in her mouth, raising the other end in Akira’s direction. She seemed excited to play.

Akira took a deep breath. No big deal, right? She settled her lips around the end of the stick…

And Meiyui shot down the stick faster than Akira had ever expected, claiming her lips in a heartbeat. Akira squeaked as their lips mashed together, and she faintly registered that Meiyui managed to extract the pocky stick from her mouth. She fall back when Meiyui released her from the liplock, breathless, her face burning. “Th-that w-w-was…!”

Meiyui licked her lips and smirked. “As I ate the entire stick, I believe that should be my victory. What an exciting way to pass the time! Shall we play again?”


	13. Day 13 - Outdoors (Masara & Yuma)

“You shouldn’t pick that,” Masara said.

The small child looked up at her in surprise, apparently having failed to notice her approaching. “Huh? But, I’m supposed to collect mushrooms...”

“...You can collect it if you want,” Masara said disinterestedly. “But it isn’t edible.”

The  little girl looked surprised. “Eh? But, it looks like a kind I’ve had before...”

So as Masara had thought, she was looking for edible mushrooms. “It looks similar to some other varieties,” Masara acknowledged. “But it’s slightly different. You can tell by these lines around the edges. Here, do you see?”

The child looked up at her in wonder. “Wow. You know a lot about mushrooms!”

Masara considered the thought, then shook her head, rejecting it. “Not really. I’ve just been reading up on what sort of plants are common on the trails around here. This happens to be one of the things I studied.”

“So you’re really smart then!” the child exclaimed. “Hey, can you help me find some mushrooms that are good to eat.”

Masara frowned. “I suppose so, but… shouldn’t you find your parents? Are you here alone?”

A flicker of emotion passed over the child’s face, something dark that Masara didn’t recognize, but then it was gone again. “I’m not alone! Big Sis Kyoko is here too, but we split up to find dinner.”

“...Very well,” Masara said, accepting the explanation. “...There. It isn’t mushrooms, but look here. These flowers are edible, even without preparation. They aren’t very filling individually, but there’s enough of them that they should help.”

The girl beamed at her. “Thanks, big sis! I knew you were smart!” She plucked a flower and gobbled it up without hesitation, and seemed pleased with it. “Hey, what about you? Are you here alone?”

“...No. I’m meeting up with someone I know. I’m on my way to our meeting place right now.”

“It must be someone that you’re really good friends with!”

Masara blinked. That seemed like an odd conclusion to reach. “What makes you say that?”

The child pointed up at Masara. “Because you smiled so big talking about them! It’s the only time I saw you smile.”

Masara put her hands to her face, feeling her lips. Strange. She hadn’t noticed, but she had no reason to think the child was lying.

“Hey, Yuma! Yuma, where are you? I found some berries, we should be good to go! Hey, there you are!” A teenage girl in well-worn clothing approached, carrying a reused shopping bag. She waved at the child, and seemed wary to see Masara. “Who’d you find there, Yuma?”

“Oh, Big Sis Kyoko! This girl here taught me that these flowers are edible!” the child, Yuma, exclaimed.

The newcomer, Kyoko, raised an eyebrow. “Flowers, really? Well, if you say so, let’s pick some. Hey, thanks, whoever you are.”

“...It’s no problem,” Masara said indifferently. “I’ll be going, now.”

The little girl waved at her as she left, and Masara felt something warm in her chest. She raised a hand back in a small wave of her own. She didn’t really understand it, but… she felt good about helping.

She’d have to tell Kokoro about this later. She was sure that it was because of Kokoro that she’d changed enough to be able to feel like this.


	14. Day 14 - Music (Sayaka/Sayuki)

Sayaka sighed. She looked down at the record in her hands, and then sighed again. She didn’t even know why she had it anymore.

She really was so, so stupid.

Here she was in Kamihama again, hunting for deals on rare pieces of classical music. Even though she could barely stand to listen to the stuff anymore. It all felt ruined for her, now that Kyosuke had… now that he’d told her that…

She cut that thought off angrily and raised the record over her head. She’d smash the damned thing, never mind that she’d already spent her allowance on it, never mind that she’d regreat it later, at least _right now_ it’d feel really damned cathartic to–

“S-stop!”

A girl in pigtails grabbed Sayaka’s arm, and Sayaka was so surprised that she almost ended up dropping the record. The girl trying to stop her looked… kind of like a puppy, really, like a more timid Madoka. Well, Sayaka’s first thought at seeing her face was timid, but here this girl was throwing herself on a stranger to protect a record.

“Why are you…?”

“You s-shouldn’t mistreat things that you care about!” the girl squeaked. “U-um, sorry, I-I’m being nosy, aren’t I? But, you shouldn’t hurt yourself like that.”

Sayaka blinked in surprise. “I… What would you know about it?” she asked defensively.

“I’m, I’m right, aren’t I? I can tell just by looking, you love that music!”

She was really cutting right through Sayaka. Feeling defeated, Sayaka lowered her arm and laughed in self-deprecation. “It’s… kind of complicated. I… I used to listen to this music with my friend, but… we, uh, had a fight. I don’t… think I want to listen to music anymore. I’m done. It just… seems so stupid now.”

The puppy-liked girl made a determined face. “But, you still love music. That isn’t something that goes away. S-so… Um… Hey, are you busy right now?”

Huh? “No, I guess I’m not really doing anything...”

“Then come with me!” the girl said, already tugging Sayaka along with her. “I really, really want to show you something!”

Sayaka let herself be led. “What is it?”

“It’s a surprise! You’ll see!”

The girl led her along, into a crowd of people that were forming. What were they here about? Judging from the looks… Was this the site of a surprise street concert? Idols weren’t really Sayaka’s thing, honestly, she was really more into classical then pop even though her image didn’t seem like it…

“Okay, just wait here! Trust me, I’ll change your mind!”

“Hey, hold on–!” It was too late, the girl had already vanished into the crowd, abandoning Sayaka there. What was that about? It was one thing if that girl wanted to take her to a concert, but to just leave her here…

Her question was answered soon enough, when that same puppy-eyed girl emerged at the front of the crowd to a round of cheers from the gathered fans, dressed in a proper idol outfit. “ I’ll slash my way into your heart! It’s me, your beloved blade-bearing beauty. Sayuki Fumino, cutting in!”

The crowd went wild, and Sayaka found herself being swept up in their enthusiasm. This was that earnest stuttering girl?

“I want to dedicate today’s performance to everyone that’s struggling in their lives!” Sayuki shouted over the cries of her fans. “You know, I actually used to really hate concerts. I mean, I really loved them, but then I had a bad experience, and I was afraid of them, and… And it’s because I had the support of everyone that I was able to realize again that I actually really love concerts! So, this song is to support everyone that needs a hand, the same way that I’ve been supported.” She caught Sayaka’s eye in the crowd and smiled. “You can do it!”

She started her show, and… it was pop stuff, not at all the classical tones that Sayaka was fond of. But Sayuki… she was honestly amazing at what she did. Not just her performance, but her earnestness, her honesty, it really did cut through like a blade. Sayaka wiped a tear out of her eye, laughing. She really did love classical music, but…

She might be falling in love all over again for this pop stuff.


	15. Day 15 - Caffeine (Momoko/Tsuruno)

It was a bright and lovely day, the birds were chirping, and Momoko was looking forward to spending time with her friends at Mikazuki Villa. She was humming to herself as she hurried up to the door and put her hand on the knob.

It didn’t open. Locked. Well, that was odd.

Her phone buzzed and she pulled it out to check it. She’d gotten several new text messages all at once.

Yachiyo:  _I’m sorry._

Mifuyu: _I wish you the best!_

Mel: _Wow, you’re doomed._

Okay, that was definitely strange. What was all this about? Some kind of elaborate prank, maybe? She couldn’t imagine any kind of Witch that would make them act like this…

“Momoko! Hey hey!”

She had only just started to turn to greet the speaker when she was tackled to the ground by a fierce hug. She barely managed to catch herself from slamming her face into the stone. “C’mon, Tsuruno, go easy on me...”

Tsuruno paid no heed to that, affectionately nuzzling Momoko with her cheek. “It’s so good to see you this morning! I tried to get into the house but they locked me out can you believe that it’s so mean! Master won’t even come out and duel me even though I feel like I can really definitely beat her for sure right now!”

With great effort, Momoko managed to pull herself to her feet and Tsuruno with her. “Yeah, uh… Are you feeling okay, Tsuruno? You seem a little… off.”

“No no I’m not off at all I’m all the way on!” Tsuruno told her, releasing her hold on Momoko to bounce up and down excitedly. “I feel great!”

“Did you have too much sugar this morning?” Momoko asked suspiciously.

“Haha what no way I didn’t have any sugar I jut had some spicy noodles and four cups of coffee is all and I don’t think I really care for the taste but I was kind of sleep before and now I feel great!”

Momoko shuddered and understood now why the others had barricaded the entrance. Tsuruno had discovered _caffeine._ “Right, so, I guess I’ll just–”

“Go for a jog great idea I could go for a jog too we’ll go together it’ll be fun c’mon!” Tsuruno grabbed Momoko by the wrist and dragged her along into what was less of a job and more of a dead sprint.

Momoko shouldered her concerns and started running properly so that she didn’t get dragged. She was a magical girl, she could keep up a dead sprint in a way that a normal girl could never have managed. And, being completely honest… she didn’t really hate this kind of thing. She was getting yanked into Tsuruno’s pace, but it was _fun_ , feeling the wind in her face as she ran alongside a girl with so much energy…

She grinned as she ran putting on another spurt of speed. “Race you to the next street!”

Tsuruno flashed a competitive smile right back at her. “Oh you are totally on!” She pulled ahead, digging even dipper into that bottomless resivoir of energy she seemed to have.

Momoko laughed as she tried to keep up. Honestly, she wasn’t sure if she could keep up with a caffeine-powered Tsuruno, she was probably gonna get run ragged today. But damned if she wasn’t going to have a blast. She was gonna have to tease Yachiyo and Mifuyu about being too old to keep up later, the others didn’t know what they were missing. Seeing that warm smile on Tsuruno’s face as they ran their hearts off against each other, she really felt like she could fly.

This was what being a magical girl was all about.


	16. Day 16 - Dumb Bets (Kako/Felicia/Ayame)

“Okay, I pick dare!” Ayamae declared.

“Okay then, uh… I dare you to eat a bug!” Felicia said.

Kako shuddered. “U-um, that seems like it’s going a bit too far...”

“Easy!” Ayame shouted. She looked around, then scooped an ant off the ground and licked it up. “Ha! No problem, no problem! This game is mine!”

“Yeah, sure, whatever,” Felicia huffed. “I’m still totally gonna win this bet. Kako, it’s your turn!”

Kako took a deep breath. This game was really dangerous. So… “I pick truth.”

Felicia and Ayame both groaned together. “Come on, that’s totally weak, Kako.” “Yeah Kako, that’s weak, it’s weak! You gotta pick dare, you gotta!”

Kako bit her lip, but stayed firm. “No. I’m picking truth. You have to ask me something.”

The two of them both made thinking sounds. “Hey, hey, what do we ask her?” Ayame whispered loudly.

“I’m thinking! ...Oh, I’ve got it!” Felicia grinned menacingly. “Okay, tell us the truth! Who do you have a crush on?”

“Ooh, ooh! That’s a good one!”

Kako’s face turned beet red at that. Oh no… This was even more dangerous than picking dare. But it was too late to turn back now… She put her face in her hands and mumbled something.

“I can’t hear you!” “Yeah, yeah, speak up!”

Kako took a deep breath and tried again. “I… I really like both of you! Felicia, Ayame, you’re the ones that I have a c-crush on!”

Silence reigned for several seconds after that. Finally, Felicia managed to make a strangled sound. “Eh?”

Kako threw a hand up and pointed at Felicia. “Th-there, my turn is done! Felicia, pick!”

“Wait, hold on, you just–”

“Pick!”

“Okay, uh, dare–”

“I dare you to kiss Kako!” Ayame shouted suddenly, looking triumphant.

Felicia turned a shade of red to match Kako. “What?! Hold on, you can’t just do that!”

“Nuh-uh, it’s a dare, so you have to do it! Or do you forfeit?”

Felicia growled. “Okay, fine! No big deal, let’s go!” She grabbed Kako’s chin, prompting a squeak from Kako.

“E-eh?!”

Felicia awkwardly slammed their lips together. Kako was overwhelmed by how fast this was happening, but… all the same, she paid rapt attention to every sensation of it. She’d read so many books, and she’d dreamed about kissing Felicia, but to actually have it happen…!

At last Felicia pulled away, leaving Kako feeling light-headed and struggling to stay upright. “Th-there, see? No problem,” Felicia stammered.

“Fine, fine,” Ayame said. “Okay, I pick dare!”

“Then I dare _you_ to kiss Kako!” Felicia cried out immediately.

Kako’s heart did a somersault. “Eeeeh?!”

“Huh?! That’s no fair, no fair! I just did that one, you can’t copy me!”

“Can too!” Felicia argued back. “What, are you a scaredy-cat?”

“I am not!” Ayame declared. “Fine then! Let’s go, Kako!”

Kako found herself being kissed again, Ayame pressing their lips together clumsily but passionately. It was different from Felicia, and more than Kako could have ever asked for.

“Okay, I-I did it!” Ayame said, red-faced herself now. “It’s your turn, Kako! Truth or dare?!”

Kako looked between the two of their expectant faces. Oh no. This game was getting wildly out of hand, and she could already tell that these two had already gotten carried away and were only going to ask something even more outrageous. This really was a dangerous, dangerous game.

And… she was starting to like it.

“D-dare...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dares are like bets, right? Well, I already wrote it, so I'm saying it: dares are like bets.


	17. Day 17 - Getting Caught - (???/???)

Muffled moans were escaping from a cramped broom closet in Mikazuki Villa.

“Don’t be so loud, they’ll hear us.”

“Sorry, I’m trying, but...”

The words were cut off as the two went back to kissing. Two girls, the taller with blue hair and the shorter with pink, were getting very carried away with their secret makeout session.

“Ah, Yachiyo you’ve gotten really good at this...”

“Well, naturally. And… hey, Iroha, watch where you’re touching…!”

“Sorry, I just, um...”

“No, I mean, it’s fine, but… Hey, is it just me, or has your chest really grown…?”

“Ah, well, you know… It’s probably because of all the attention that you’ve been giving it...”

“Oh. Well, um… In that case, I might as well...”

“Eep!”

The door opened suddenly, letting light into the closet, and the two abruptly froze, caught in the act.

There was a long, loud sigh. Standing in the doorway, looking down at the two miscreants, was… Yachiyo. “What exactly is going on here?”

Iroha blinked, looking between the two Yachiyos. “Eh?”

The ‘Yachiyo’ that had been making out with Iroha hurried to disentangle herself and try to look presentable. “Sorry! It’s, uh, it’s not what it looks like!” A blue shimmer surrounded her body, and her features shifted, her form changing. When it was done, Rena, blushing furiously, did her best to bow in the cramped closet. “I know it’s weird, but we didn’t mean anything bad by it, promise! It’s just, look, it’s like… it’s hot, okay!”

The real Yachiyo rubbed her temples. “I really didn’t need to know about this. Look, you and Iroha can do what you want, but… Can you _not_ be making so much noise somewhere that the rest of us can hear it?”

“Wait,” Iroha said slowly, her eyes wide as she looked at Rena. “You… aren’t Yacchan?”

Rena and Yachiyo both turned their heads at ‘Iroha’ at that statement. “...What?”

‘Iroha’ looked terribly embarrassed as she backed into the corner of the closet. “But, um, I just thought… So, Iroha and Yachiyo _aren’t_ going out, then?”

Rena looked shocked. “Hold up, you aren’t Iroha?!”

Yachiyo sighed again. “Really, Mifuyu? You’d stupe to this?”

The illusion faded away as ‘Iroha’ faded back into Mifuyu. “Um… I know this looks really bad, but… Look, I was just...”

The front door down the hall opened and shut audibly. “Hey everyone, I’m home!” Iroha called out. “Sorry I’m late! Anything interesting happen while I was out?”


	18. Day 18 - Onsens (Chiharu/Shizuka/Sunao)

“Is something wrong, Charu?” Sunao asked gently, tilting her head.

“N-no, it’s nothing,” Chiharu reassured her. She hoped she wasn’t blushing. She was _probably_ blushing. She couldn’t help it!

Sunao and Shizuka had already stripped their clothes off, and Shizuka was already on her way into the hot spring. Chiharu was the only one that hadn’t undressed yet, hands on her shirt. She took a deep breath and pulled her shirt off, the rest of her clothes quickly following, and placed them neatly in the provided basket. There. She did it.

She tried to keep her eyes away from her friends as she made her way into the hot springs. There hadn’t really been anyone that she’d been so…  _intimate_ with before moving to Tokime Village, other than her mother (which was different). And she felt awkward about comparing her body to these two especially. Sunao was already developing into a beautiful young woman, growing curves in all the right places. Shizuka wasn’t quite there yet, but she was  _fit_ , her body well-toned with lean muscle from all the training she did. Meanwhile, Chiharu was just…

She yelped as Sunao tugged her into the hot water. “You’ll freeze to death just standing there,” she reprimanded softly.

“Aaah, but this water sure is great,” Shizuka said, basking in the warmth. “There’s nothing like getting into the onsen after a long day of fighting Devils.”

“Yeah, hehe, thats right!” Chiharu agreed, slipping most of her body under the water where it was less visible. She tried to relax, focusing on the sensation of the hot spring. “It really does feel good, huh? Thanks for inviting me.”

“Of course,” Shizuka said with a proud smile. “You’re one of us now, Charu. You get to take part in our special Diviner cleansing ritual.”

Chiharu’s eyes widened. “Oh, so it’s a ritual?”

“It isn’t actually any kind of formal ritual,” Sunao said with a playful light in her eyes. “We just call it that. It’s just nice to relax from time to time like this.”

“It may not be a Diviner ceremony, but it is a good chance to bond as a team,” Shizuka said. “We have to trust each other with out lives on the battlefield, after all. It’s good to be able to be close like this.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.” Chiharu nodded, but it didn’t help the butterflies in her stomach.

Her discomfort must have been apparent, because Shizuka frowned. “What’s wrong, Charu?”

“No, it’s–”

“If you say it’s nothing again, I’m going to start to be mad,” Sunao warned with a stern look. “We want you to trust us, Charu. Please, if there’s something wrong, we want to know.”

Chiharu looked away. “It’s just, something dumb...”

“Even so,” Sunao said.

Chiharu blushed. “It’s just… I’m not used to getting into hot springs with people! And you two are beautiful, and I’m not!” She turned around, not able to meet their faces. “Sorry! Like I said, it’s really dumb, and...”

“It’s not!” Shizuka said. Arms wrapped around Chiharu from behind, and she almost jumped as she was suddenly pulled into a hug. “Don’t put yourself down like that, Charu. You don’t have to hide anything from us.”

“That’s right,” Sunao said, and then she was there joining the embrace as well. “We’re in this together. Trust in us, Charu.”

“Besides,” Shizuka said, “you’re beautiful too! Really, I’m jealous of your soft skin. Compared to you, I’m not anything special.”

Chiharu blushed. “N-no way, Shizuka, you’re way more beautiful than me.”

Shizuka and Sunao both laughed at her outcry. “Welcome to the team, Charu,” Shizuka said warmly.


	19. Day 19 - Misunderstandings (Hanna/Emiri)

Hanna breathed in. She breathed out. And she didn’t feel any better.

Well, she hadn’t slept properly in… how long had it been? So there was that.

But no, right now she was upset because for just a moment she’d thought she’d seen _her_ , even though that was impossible because _she_ wasn’t around anymore, but for just a moment Hanna had wanted to believe it. It was dumb. People were dumb. Like these people. They were all dumb and giggling and gossipy and Hanna hated them.

One girl almost walked right into Hanna, though she stopped herself at the last moment. “Oops! I’m totes sorry about that, I f’real almost bumped into you there! I was all kinds of distracted, my B! Lemme make it up to you by–”

Nope, Hanna was done here. “Die,” she uttered, channeling  _her_ suggestion magic into the word. She’d never actually tested if she could actually kill someone with a single word, so hey, might as well try now, right?

The girl paused, getting a far-away look in her eyes. “Yeah… you’re right. I should…” The girl turned suddenly and walked away.

Hanna smirked, then snickered. There. That’d show that stupid prissy styled-out girl.

* * *

It had been a week since then, and Hanna froze in terror as she saw that same damned girl still walking around among the living. The only thing different was that her hair was now dyed bubblegum blue-and-pink instead of the blond she’d been last time.

The girl caught sight of her and  _waved_ . “Oh, hey there girl! It’s been a hot tick, hasn’t it? Thanks supes for your advice before!”

Hanna gaped at the girl. “My…  _advice?_ I told you to–”

“To dye, yeah!” the girl chattered away. “You were totes right, the blond just wasn’t doing it! I need something were more _bang_ , so like, I totally dyed my hair and I love it like this, yeah! Oh, wait, I totally didn’t even get your name before! I’m Emiri Kisaki, nice to meetcha!”

“I’m… Hanna,” Hanna managed to utter, still bewildered. Had she… _misinterpretted_ Hanna’s suggestion? Huh. Maybe that was the drawback of relying on spoken suggestions. Well, she’d just have to give a better one this time. “Hey, Emiri, you should kill–”

The other girl clasped her hands around Hanna’s, causing her to choke off in a coughing fit. “I should kill some time with you, you’re totally right! Thanks for the suggestion, Hanna! I still toes owe you from last time, so here, let me make it up to you. Let’s go shopping!”

“Wai– I– Ack!”


	20. Day 20 - Ghosts (Ren/Mel)

Ren stirred slowly to wakefulness as the sun raised high enough to peek through her curtains and shine down on her face. She turned over, facing away from the light. It was so hard sometimes to muster the will to get up, to face another day knowing it might be even worse than the last.

“ _Wake up, sleepyhead!”_

Ren startled into proper wakefulness. That voice had a strange echoing quality to it, and Ren still wasn’t used to having a… a roommate? A roommate like this one.

“ _Come on, come on, you’re wasting daylight! We should at least check your fortune first before we decide if laying in bed all day is a good plan!”_

Ren forced herself to sit up and address the other girl. “Mel… Um… Your fortunes...”

“ _I know, I know, last time was kind of a bust,”_ the ethereal green-haired girl said. _“But I swear, when I was alive, my fortunes were ALWAYS right! I bet I just read the reading wrong last time. Come on, I’ll get it right for sure this time!”_

Ren relented, standing up and moving to her desk. She retrieved the tarot deck that she’d bought at Mel’s urging, shuffled it, and drew three cards the way that Mel had taught her. She looked blankly down at the cards. She didn’t really have any idea what these symbols were supposed to represent.

“ _Oh, okay, this is promising!”_ Mel told her, hovering over Ren’s shoulder, the soft blue flames that covered her body casting a subtle light over the desk. _“You’re going to have a destined encounter today! If you face it boldly then you’ll have good fortune.”_

Ren looked down, letting her hair fall over her eyes. “But… I don’t think… that I can do that… yes…”

A featherlight touch brushed against her head. She seemed to be the only one that could see or hear Mel, but even she could only barely feel Mel, as though the ghost were made out of a cloud. Still, even with only that cloud-like touch, Ren could feel as Mel pressed her own head against Ren’s and that tried to pull her into a hug.

“ _Hey, it’ll be okay,”_ Mel told her. _“I believe in you. You’re a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for, Ren.”_

Ren felt a tear streak down her face. “I wish… that you were alive… Mel.” She took a deep breath and clung to the ghost, embracing the phantom as much as she could, however faint that sensation of touch might have been. “You’re always… so nice to me. I want to… be your friend… yes…”

“ _Aw jeez, see, you’re so sweet! But Ren, just so you know, we’re already friends, even if I am a ghost! I wish I could do more to help you, but I’m not ever gonna let you be alone, you hear?”_

“Yes… I hear,” Ren said with a nod.

“ _Then buck up! Come on, smile for me!”_ Mel urged her.

Ren looked up, and saw Mel making a ridiculous face, puffing out her cheeks and stretching her eyelids with her fingers. Ren laughed at the absurd sight.

Mel smiled at that.  _“See! That’s what I’m talking about. You look great with a smile! Now come on, we gotta get ready for the day. You’ve got a destined encounter today, and I’m gonna help you get through it.”_

Ren nodded, wondering what kind of magic this ghost had that she was always able to make Ren feel better. “Okay… I will, yes. Let’s… Let’s do this!”


	21. Day 21 - Christmas Shopping (Iroha/Tsukuyo)

Tsukuyo spotted Iroha first. The pinkette was waiting outside Tsukuyo’s school, and seemed to be slightly perplexed by her own phone. The moment that she looked up and saw who was approaching her, her entire face brightened immediately.

“Ah, Tsukuyo! There you are.”

“My apologies, club activities ran a bit longer than anticipated,” Tsukuyo said. “I hope that I didn’t keep you waiting long.”

“It’s no trouble at all!” Iroha reassured her. “So, shall we be off?”

“Yes, let us do so,” Tsukuyo agreed with a smile. She fell into step with Iroha, walking close but being careful to keep at least a proprietery inch of distance from her.

The two of them headed to the mall, which was festooned with all sorts of Christmas decorations. “Alright,” Iroha said with a nod, “We need to get Christmas presents for everyone today.”

“Yes, you for your housemates at Mikazuki Villa, and I for Tsukasa, Mifuyu, and the others. Let us do our best together.”

“Right!”

~ ~ ~

The hunt began. They looked at clothes, jewelry, toys, books, anything that seemed like it might be a promising idea, asking one another for opinions on possible presents.

“Ah, how about this?” Iroha held up a fake beard over her face. “Ho ho ho! I’m Santa Claus!”

Tsukuyo giggled. “And just who would you get that as a gift for?”

“Hm, Tsuruno might appreciate something like this,” Iroha said thoughtfully. “Then again, it might be perfect for Mitama...”

~ ~ ~

It was all too soon that their shopping date came to an end. “I think we managed to get something for everyone,” Iroha said, looking at their pile of bags.

“It was work well done,” Tsukuyo affirmed. “Thank you for inviting me like this. I had fun today.”

“I did too!” Iroha said with a warm smile.

“Unfortunately, I’ve got practice that I need to be off to,” Tsukuyo said with a sigh. “I do wish that we could spend more time together…”

“There’s not much we can do about that. I just have to make the most of the time I can spend with you.” Iroha wrapped her arms around Tsukuyo in a hug. “Take care of yourself.”

“You as well. I couldn’t bare if anything happened to you. ...What is this?”

As Iroha pulled away, Tsukuyo discovered that she’d looped a scarf over Tsukuyo during the hug. “Well, there was one person that I didn’t buy a present for today,” Iroha told her with a lovely smile. “But I got you something ahead of time, and I was waiting for a chance. Merry Christmas, Tsukuyo.”

Tsukuyo smiled back at her. “Thank you. I’ll treasure it greatly. I actually…” She blushed as she pulled a small wrapped giftbox out of her pocket. “...had a similar thought, you see. “Merry Christmas, Iroha.”


	22. Day 22 - Video Chat (Riko/Ashley)

Riko bit her lip, looking at the message on her screen. _Is now a good time?_ For some reason she felt a flare of anxiety when she hovered over the video call button. But… all the same, this was something that she really wanted. Only one thing to do.

She hit the button.

The call picked up almost immediately, and a familiar smiling face greeted her. “Riko! It’s so nice to see you! You look so kawaii!”

Riko blushed. “You look good too, Ash! You’re so stylish.”

“It’s too bad that Kosho doesn’t have different uniforms for the elementary, middle, and high school divisions,” Ashley said wistfully. “You look great in that school uniform, but there’s some serious kawaii factor when a girl graduates to a new school uniform.”

It was strange to think that Riko was around the same age now as when she had first met Ashley, about five years ago now. Ashley was going to college in America now, and they didn’t even  _have_ a uniform there, which meant that Ashley was free to really flex her fashion capabilities. She had an eclectic mix of light and dark colors in her signature gurokawa style that she had obviously put together herself.

“That’s true, you’ve already seen me in this uniform plenty,” Riko said self-consciously. “But, I do have some kawaii outfits that I wear on my days off. Maybe I could show some to you sometime?”

“Ooh, that would be amazing!” Ashley said with stars in her eyes. “I could show off some of the outfits I’ve put together too, we could make it like a fashion show! I love the idea, Riko, we should totally do it!”

Riko felt laughter bubbling up as she soaked in Ashley’s infectious energy. It had been over a year since she’d last seen Ashley in person, but they still kept up with each other. As time had passed, Riko found herself feeling closer and closer to Ashley, even though physically they were so far apart.

And now…

“Hey, Riko, are you okay?” Ashley asked, perceptive as ever.

“Oh, yes! Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind. Um. What were you saying?”

“Nothing much. Hey, I don’t know if I’ll be able to help, but you can always talk to me if there’s something bothering you, okay? I’ve got your back!”

“Of course!” Riko was blushing again, and she felt both happy and nervous at once. Ashley always seemed to make a mess of her emotions these days. “It’s just… Um… I’m going to tell you, but promise not to laugh?”

“Cross my heart!”

Riko took a deep breath. “Right. Okay. It’s… You know, Ash, I’m not a little girl anymore, and…  and… I know I’m not as old as you but I really like you, like  _like_ like you, and I think that you’re really pretty and funny and kind andIwanttobeyourgirlfriendsorrybutit’strue!” she finished in a breathless rush.

Ashley’s face turned red as a tomato, a rare expression on her face. “Oh!  _Oh!_ That’s… oh geez, Riko!” She covered her face with her hands and turned away from the screen, but her smile was so wide that it gave Riko hope. “That’s… It’s unfair, hitting me with such a kawaii confession! And I was just thinking about how grown-up you’re looking. Urgh… You know, I can’t visit very often right now because of my classes, and people might give you grief about the age gap. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

“Yes!” Riko said fervently. “I don’t care! Because it can’t be anyone but Ash!”

“Then… Aaaah, okay then! I accept! I totally love you too, Riko!”


	23. Day 23- Cooking Disasters (Mitama & Konoha)

“Oh my, what a lovely shade of green!” Mitama commented. “How did you get it to turn out like that?”

Konoha preened at the praise for her creation. “I’ve been practicing on color theory, you know. I have special recipes depending on which color I want to cook the food. Here, I’ll show you my recipe for green...”

“Oh my, how creative! I’m sure I could make some wonderful green hamburgers with this,” Mitama said thoughtfully.

“I’m most impressed with some of your cooking as well,” Konoha told her. “Some of your ideas with condiments are inspired! I never would have thought to put mayonaise on ice cream!”

“Oh, that’s nothing much,” Mitama said with a smile and a wave. “I just can’t hold back when I feel some inspiritation!”

“Yes, I understand completely,” Konoha said earnestly. “Sometimes, when I have a good idea, I know that I just have to try it! I’m sure that someday, Hazuki and Ayame will come to appreciate my novel food ideas.”

“I can lend you Momoko sometime, she’s such a wonderful tastetester. Why, some of my recipes have really knocked her off her feet!

“Oh, really?” Konoha hummed to herself as she gathered more spices to add to her dish. “That does sound good. I’m so glad that you asked me to help prepare the food for the party, Mitama, it’s so nice to collaborate with someone that I can talk with about my cooking ideas.

“My my, I quite agree! I think you really get me, Konoha. If we work together, I’m sure that we can arrive at brand new heights of cooking!”

“Yes, absolutely! Ah, and I think this is just about done. Would you like to sample a taste?

“Of course, of course! And here, you should have a bite of what I’ve been working on...”

~ ~ ~

Mitama and Konoha were admitted to the hosptial at 0800, after being found unconscious by another girl visting the Coordinator’s office. They seem to have been suffering from some severe variety of food poisoning. Everyone is hopeful that they’ll make a complete and timely recover.


	24. Day 24 - Mistletoe (Kaede/Konomi)

Kaede blew warm air onto her hands in an attempt to warm them up as she waited in the cold. It wouldn’t take much longer, right?

“Konomi, are you coming?” Kaede hesitantly ventured to ask. Even though Blossom’s had already closed for the day, Konomi had ducked into the back of the store for something.

“Just a minute!” Konomi called back.

Kaede sighed and glanced up nervously. It was fine. Everything was in place, she just had to wait. It shouldn’t take long…

After an eternity (or perhaps just a couple of minutes) Konomi finally emerged, holding a bouqet of flowers. Her eyes alighted on Kaede and she smiled, the curl of her lips framed by the curls of her hair. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Kaede! I wanted to make sure this was just right.”

Kaede put her fingers in front of her mouth like she was trying to warm them up again, though it was actually to hide her frown. “Is that another customer order?” she asked, trying to swallow bitter feelings.

Konomi laughed, the sound like musical chimes, and held out the bouqet. “No, silly, they’re for you!”

“Oh!” Kaede’s eyes widened, and she felt absurd for her petty feelings now. She felt warmth deep inside as she accepted the flowers. She raised them to her face and deeply inhaled their scent.

“I wanted to pick out something special just for you,” Konomi told her. “I made sure to work in some of your favorite colors and flowers, along with some choices that complement them well, and that suit the season. Ah, here, in the language of flowers these mean–”

Kaede put a finger on Konomi’s lip, stopping her before she could get too carried away. “I know,” she said, pretty sure she was blushing. She’d already known a thing or two about flowers before she’d met Konomi, before she’d started working at Blossom’s, before the two of them had grown close. Now, she felt she could probably fill a book about flower meanings. “I got something for you, too,” she forced herself to say. “A special surprise...”

“Oh, yes?” Konomi looked so pleased. “What is it?”

Kaede just pointed upward. Konomi’s gaze followed her pointing, spotting the small sprig that Kaede had pinned above the door, green leaves and red berries clearly standing out.

“Oh, mistletoe,” Konomi chirped cheerfully in recognition. “It isn’t a flower, it’s actually a parasite, and–”

“Do you know what the other meaning of mistletoe is?” Kaede asked, interrupting again to stop Konomi from launching into a dissertation on plant facts.

“Of course, it–”

Kaede leaned in close, mustering her courage, and kissed Konomi on the lips.

Konomi’s eyes widened, then her cheeks turned red, and then a smile spread across her lips. “Oh. _Oh._ You meant… _that_ meaning.”

Kaede laughed, feeling like a weight had been released upon seeing Konomi’s smile in response. “Yes, silly.  _That_ meaning.”


	25. Day 25 - Love Confessions (Touka/Ui/Nemu)

“So, what do you think?” Touka asked.

“This place is really nice!” Ui said excitedly. “The food is really nice, and the atmosphere is so festive! Thanks for treating us, Touka!”

“It is pretty nice,” Nemu grudgingly admitted. “But isn’t renting out a whole restaurant a bit too much?”

“It’s fine!” Touka assured her. “There’s no point in having money if you aren’t going to spend it, after all. I want us to have the best possible Christmas party that we can! Money shouldn’t ever be an obstacle to that.”

“I’m definitely having fun,” Ui told her. “I’m so glad to be able to spend this night with the two of you!”

“Back when we were in the hospital, something like this never seemed possible,” Nemu mused. “And I certainly never would have imagined being such good friends with _Touka_ before Ui showed up.”

“Hey! We get along now, don’t we? Jeez, you don’t need to dredge up that stuff from the past, you know?”

“That’s true,” Nemu said with a slight smile, though it quickly faded into a thoughtful look. “So, Touka, are you going to tell us what this is all about?”

Touka froze. “Huh? Wh-what are you talking about?”

Nemu rolled her eyes. “You aren’t that subtle, Touka. You’re trying way too hard to butter us up, planning out this dinner party and everything. What’s going on?”

Touka looked afronted. “Come on, I don’t need a reason to act nice to my best friends, do I?”

“Normally no, but it’s you, so...”

“Now now, Nemu, be nice!” Ui said. “Touka did a lot of work to set this up, we should be thankful to her!”

“I am grateful, but I’d feel better if I knew what she was up to.”

“Ah, jeez, fine!” Touka exclaimed, standing up. “If you’re gonna like that, then I’ll just get right down to it. The truth is… the truth is…!”

“It’s okay,” Ui said encouragingly. “You can take as long as you need, Touka.”

Touka took a deep breath, her face flushed. “Okay, yeah. Right. Um… Ui, Nemu, we’ve known each other for a while now. So, I just, I wanna say… I really like both of you.”

“Yeah, I like you too!” Ui shot back without a moment of hesitation.

Touka groaned. “No, not like that. I mean… I  _really_ like you, Ui. And you too, Nemu. Not just a friendly kind of like! I… I wanna go out with you! Both of you!”

The table went silent for a moment  in the wake of that proclomation. Touka fidgeted neverously.

“Hey, come on, say something! Don’t just leave me hanging here!”

“That’s… a terribly unrealistic proposition, you know,” Nemu said slowly.

Touka’s cheeks turned a deeper red. “I know that! I know that a relationship between three people, and all girls at that, is a statistical anomaly! The odds of it happening are incredibly rare! But… But I still want to...” Touka sniffed, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Ah, I didn’t mean that I object,” Nemu said quickly, feeling awkard. “It sounds like a lovely story. And I don’t have a problem with… with the two of you. I care very deeply about you too, after all.”

“...Yeah,” Ui finally said with a nod, her eyes focused. “I’m thinking about it, and… I want that too! I really like you both… no, I love you! If you think we can all be together, romantically, then, I want to try!”

The tears started overflowing down Touka’s cheeks now as she smiled. “Uwaah… I really, really do love you! Ui, Nemu! Thank you!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a few days after the 25th now, I fell behind a bit working on another project, but the 25 Days of Fluffcember are complete! This has been a really fun writing exercise, and I'm glad I got to explore so many characters and scenarios this month. A lot of these ficlets are rougher than I would normally like, but quite a few of these turned out really nicely anyway, so I have no regrets about doing this. It's been fun!


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